Website Changeshttp://www.redwatch.org.au
This directory shows up the most recent 80 changes to the REDWatch website. By visiting this page you can see what has recently been added on the site and if you use the RSS feed you can have the changes delivered to you when they occur. -- Please note any modification made to a page on the site is reflected here be it change of document type or correction of a spelling error or link. We show all changes as only this way will significant changes to exisitng pages also be notified when changes are made --.
hourly12006-06-01T20:22:01Z

Paper Petition on impact of TPRS and HCP losshttp://www.redwatch.org.au/RWA/humanservices/wloohs/181116jl
Further to the Change.org. online petition we circulated a couple of weeks ago we have had multiple requests from local residents and supporting agencies to develop a paper petition, which we have now done with the support of the Local Member for Newtown, Jenny Leong MP. Please find attached our petition to the Honourable Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly of NSW in Parliament requesting to restore support services for public housing tenants in Redfern and Waterloo. Jenny Leong MP is able to raise the question in NSW Parliament once 250 signatures are tabled. Please return signed petitions to the office of Jenny Leong MP, Member for Newtown, at 383 King St Newtown. You can also call (02) 9517 2800 or email jenny.leong@parliament.nsw.gov.au with any questions or comments. Alternatively you can bring signed petitions to the Factory and we will send them on your behalf. Thank you in advance for your continued support of the Redfern and Waterloo public housing communities.
No publisherREDWatch2018-11-18T11:06:04ZFileMission Australia to replace TPRS and HCP Statewide in new TPCEhttp://www.redwatch.org.au/RWA/humanservices/wloohs/181101redw
On 31 October 2018, FACS announced that Mission Australia had won the tender to provide the replacement service for the long standing TPRS and place based HCP programs. Mission Australia will run the new Tenant Participation and Community Engagement (TPCE) across the entire state from December 3 2018 after the existing TPRS and HCP programs end. Prior to the announcement of the successful tenderer, REDWatch initiated a petition over the loss of services expected in Redfern and Waterloo from the change in programs. From all the information available there will be a loss of existing services to Redfern and Waterloo tenants, especially as a result of the loss of the Redfern Waterloo place-based HCP position. You can read why this is so at Sign the petition to restore support for Redfern & Waterloo tenant services following HCP and TPRS de-funding and you can sign the petition at Restore support for Redfern and Waterloo Public Housing Tenant Services! The petition is not designed to overturn the decision, but rather to ensure the Redfern and Waterloo public housing communities do not get impacted and lose services from the change.

The announcement of a state wide service provider who has not historically been involved in Tenant Participation Support Services and who does not have an on the ground presence in Redfern and Waterloo only strengthens our view that there will be significant gaps resulting from the change in tenant support programs.

We do not share the Minister's upbeat line in the media release below. While there may be a boost of services in some areas these will be at the expense of the place-based services provided by HCP in areas like Redfern and Waterloo and some of the functions undertaken previously by TPRS.

There is also a significant irony in the TPCE Fact sheet's claim that through "Mission Australia’s
extensive networks, TPCE will link FACS housing tenants to outreach, advocacy
and support services", when one of the areas in dispute between existing TPRS providers and FACS was around the advocacy role TPRS workers had played in the past. It will be interesting to see to what advocacy services tenants are now referred.

REDWatch would disagree with the Fact sheet statement "that FACS conducted an independent review of these programs
in 2017". The only review of the HCP program undertaken, was a desktop audit after the decision had been made to end the program. Local HCP provider Counterpoint Community Services was not consulted with as part of any "independent review", or otherwise, and tenants involved in the TPRS and HCP programs were not consulted at all about what they wanted from a program focused on supporting their "tenant participation".

The real reason for the change seems to be covered in the Fact sheet statement that "FACS wanted to change these
programs because too much time was spent on administration of contracts, taking
resources away from tenants". What that says is that FACS had a preference for a state wide provider and that was more important than small place-based programs well connected into the public housing communities they served.

Does this logic mean that the FACS TEI reforms looking at targeted early intervention services, including community centres, might end up funding a single state-wide organisation to run local community centre's because the administration costs will be lower? This logic potentially results in community development absurdity for the state's diverse communities.

The Media Release by Minister and the Fact Sheet are below.

- Geoff Turnbull REDWatch Co-Spokesperson 2 November 2018.

Media Release: Boost in services for Social Housing tenants

Social housing tenants in NSW will have
access to improved services and support after Mission Australia was
today announced as the successful provider of the social housing Tenant
Participation and Community Engagement (TPCE) program.

From December, the TPCE program will
strengthen community ties for people who are isolated in social housing,
help tenants organise community groups, link tenants with support
services and provide feedback to FACS on potential community improvements.

Minister
for Social Housing Pru Goward said these services will improve the
lives of social housing tenants right across the State.

“The new
program will offer tenants more opportunities to access information,
timely advice and find links to support services that will assist them
to maintain a successful tenancy,” Ms Goward said.

“The program will also ensure that tenant voices are heard in the development and delivery of reforms.”

Mission
Australia CEO James Toomey said Mission Australia is looking forward to
delivering the Tenant Participation and Community Engagement program in
metro and regional NSW.

“With this new program, the people and
families who live in social housing will have better access to
information, advice and opportunities so they can be more actively
involved in any processes and decisions about improving their homes,” Mr
Toomey said.

The program combines the current Tenant
Participation and Resource Service and Housing Communities Program, with
all funding from those programs included in the TPCE.

The Tenant
Participation and Community Engagement (TPCE) Fact sheet:

What is the Tenant
Participation and Community Engagement (TPCE) program?

The
aim of the TPCE is to improve outcomes for FACS housing tenants. It does this
by making it easier for tenants to access information and advice about their
housing, and by providing tenants with more opportunities to be involved in
decisions on their tenancies and communities.

FACS recently sought an
Expression of Interest from non-government organisations (NGOs) to deliver an
innovative tenant participation model. FACS deemed Mission Australia successful
to deliver TPCE across NSW due to their strong ability to innovate and leverage
their own resources to deliver the best outcomes for tenants.

Through Mission Australia’s
extensive networks, TPCE will link FACS housing tenants to outreach, advocacy
and support services that can assist them to manage their tenancies and participate
in their communities. Mission Australia
also have well established links with health services and so can also help
tenants with referrals for health services.

Why has FACS changed the program?

TPCE used to be made up of two
separate programs, The Tenant Participation Resource Service and the Housing
and Communities Program. FACS conducted an independent review of these programs
in 2017 which included feedback from FACS local Districts.

FACS wanted to change these
programs because too much time was spent on administration of contracts, taking
resources away from tenants. In addition, FACS wanted to see more tenants who
are not part of organised groups being helped through the programs and greater
training of volunteers on the programs.

FACS also wanted to see more
formal consultation sessions organised for tenants to make sure that their
voices are heard and to see specific courses run which will help tenants with
aspects of daily life which some find difficult, like financial management and
dealing with neighbour disputes.

All of the funding from the two
previous programs has been carried forward into the TPCE program.

How does it
work?

From 3 December 2018, Mission
Australia will work with each FACS District to identify local priority areas,
and develop tailored District Priority Statements.

Each District will develop an
annual service plan with Mission Australia that includes measurable outcomes
they will monitor.

What are TPCE’s
aims?

TPCE seeks to:

empower people in social housing to independently manage their tenancies and build
their capacity to participate in work and their community

improve long term outcomes for Aboriginal people
and families living in social
housing by giving them a say about housing services

develop a greater, inclusive presence in locations
with high concentrations of social housing that
face significant community issues and change

create opportunities for tenants to volunteer and provide those volunteers with training because
this may help some tenants ultimately to find employment or become leaders in
their community

align its program of work to each Districts’ specific
priorities and report on that work
in a consistent format aligned to the Districts’ annual service plans

link services to Future Directions, the NSW Government’s 10-year vision for social
housing

encourage tenants to participate in processes and decisions about their tenancy and improve
outreach to tenants who are harder to reach.

]]>No publisherREDWatch2018-11-02T02:37:27ZNews ItemStrong market interest in Elizabeth Street mixed build-to-rent developmenthttp://www.redwatch.org.au/RWA/elizssd/181026facs
The NSW Government has announced the conclusion of the competitive tender process to find a development partner to deliver mixed social, affordable and private housing in Elizabeth Street, Redfern under the nation's first mixed tenure Build-to-Rent model. Below is the text of the media release issued by Minister Goward.

Strong market interest in Australia's first mixed build-to-rent development

The NSW Government has announced the
conclusion of the competitive tender process to find a development
partner to deliver mixed social, affordable and private housing in
Elizabeth Street, Redfern under the nation's first mixed tenure
Build-to-Rent model.

Minister for Social Housing Pru Goward said the market's robust response to the EOI was very encouraging.

"We
knew the market would have a strong reaction to the first ever mixed
tenure Build-to-Rent site in Australia," Ms Goward said.

"Renters
and social housing tenants will be among the first to benefit from the
development, given the model will increase supply for people looking to
rent and support vulnerable people in need of social and affordable
housing."

Nine consortia are competing to deliver dedicated rental
housing in the high demand area, with a shortlist of applicants
expected to be announced by the end of the year.

Ms Goward said
Build-to-Rent is the newest initiative in the NSW Government's
nation-leading social and affordable housing building program,
Communities Plus.

"Through Communities Plus, the NSW Government is
expected to deliver 23,000 social housing dwellings, 500 affordable
housing dwellings and 40,000 private dwellings over 10 years in NSW,
delivering on our commitment to provide more and better housing for
people across the State," Ms Goward said.

"The Build-to-Rent mixed
tenure model will allow the NSW community to retain valuable Government
owned land while investors, in partnership with Community Housing
Providers, fund, build and manage the housing under a long-term lease."

]]>No publisherREDWatch2018-10-27T02:51:25ZNews ItemWaterloo Options Testing & Feedback extended until Monday 19 November 2018http://www.redwatch.org.au/RWA/Waterloo/estateoptions/181025redw
Land and Housing Corporation (LAHC) have advised that they will extend all feedback on Waterloo Options testing until 19 November. This includes feedback via the surveys both on-line and return of hard copies of the surveys. LAHC will also continue with informal drop-ins session through Waterloo Connect for members of the community that wish to still go through information on the options at the Waterloo Connect Office. LAHC will communicate this to the community through the C+ website and outreach notifications which we are continuing to still undertake around the estate.Make your voice
heard during November

The extension of time for feedback follows requests that LAHC honour their undertakings to the NAB
tenants Waterloo Redevelopment Group that there be adequate opportunity for the community to discuss and consider the options and make informed feedback. The initially announced 22 day period did not honour that commitment. The extension of feedback until 19 November mean feedback will be taken over about 40 days from when LAHC released the consultation option details.

What you can do

This consultation is about you
and your future. We
encourage the community to continue to make input to LAHC until November 19.
You can do this by:

Complete a survey online via the Waterloo consultation survey or collect and complete a paper copy at Waterloo Connect, 95 Wellington Street, Waterloo (Also available in Russian and Chinese).

Download
the Waterloo
Options - consultation kit for groups and either make your own comments
or have a group discussion. Contact Adam Antonelli at Counterpoint Community Services if you would like help in organising or running a discussion with a group of people - email Adam at wrcd@counterpointcs.org.au or phone him on 9698
9569.

Write an email, letter or hand written comments and give / send
them to LAHC

Your responses can be handed to
the Waterloo Connect Office at 95 Wellington Street, Waterloo (Open from Monday
to Friday 10am to 4pm) or emailed to waterlooconnect@facs.nsw.gov.au.
You can talk to them on 1800 738 718.

What happens next:

LAHC will prepare a Draft Final Master Plan and provide opportunities for feedback before it is submitted to the Department of Planning for adequacy testing and official exhibition.

The Metro Quarter is expected to go on formal exhibition in mid November 2018. This exhibition will include all the supporting reports which will cover many of the issues relevant to the Waterloo Estate. Workshops on the Metro Quarter proposals are expected to help the community make informed submissions to the Metro Station proposal

]]>No publisherREDWatch2018-10-27T02:19:56ZNews ItemSign the petition to restore support for Redfern & Waterloo tenant services following HCP and TPRS defunding http://www.redwatch.org.au/RWA/humanservices/wloohs/181024redw
REDWatch is very concerned about the loss of services for Redfern and Waterloo public tenants that will happen with the ending of the Tenant Resource Participation Service (TPRS) and the Redfern Waterloo based Housing Communities Program (HCP). We have organised a petition to bring attention to the problem and to seek a response from FACS.
Sign the petition
to restore support for Redfern & Waterloo tenant services following HCP and
TPRS defunding

REDWatch is supporting Redfern
and Waterloo public housing tenants who will lose the locally based tenant
support services provided by Counterpoint Community Services (HCP) and Inner
Sydney Voice (TPRS) that public tenants have benefited from over the last 23 years.

Please have a read of the
petition, sign it and ask your friends and colleagues to support local public
housing tenant services by signing the petition.

]]>No publisherREDWatch2018-10-27T01:17:17ZNews ItemWaterloo option testing begins with new option information http://www.redwatch.org.au/RWA/Waterloo/estateoptions/181010redw
Options testing has begun with the release of additional information on each options released on the first day of testing. Below is REDWatch's guide to options testing and our concerns about the process that was emailed to REDWatch's members and supporters lists.

Waterloo Options Material Released

Finally, the
additional material for Waterloo options testing today became accessible on the
www.communitiesplus.com.au/waterloo
website. It was posted the day that focus groups for options testing started.
The material posted is in addition to the initial Waterloo
Redevelopment Options Brochure and gives additional material to
that shown to REDWatch and the WRG a month ago.

The additional
material is made up of an annotated explanation of each option and artist
impressions and perspective views of each option. There is also a side-by-side
comparison of the three options across the five key areas that Land and Housing
Corporation (LAHC) wants community feedback to focus on.

LAHC has also
released a new Indicative Staging Plan that provides no greater
detail on staging than that provided in the initial options brochure other than
to state that a mix of housing will be equally distributed across the estate.

Scale Models
for each of the options have also been prepared. You can see them at Waterloo
Connect and the Information Days. The models are very small and lack human
scale. They model the actual floor space allowed in each option. They are also
the only place you will get an idea of height. Contrary to expectations, LAHC
has not released the actual building heights in each model nor the associated
shadow diagrams. So, you will need to pull-out your phone, turn on the
torch and be your own sun to get an idea of what shadows the up to 40 storey
buildings will throw. [The LAHC boards provide detail of the date and time that its shadows represent. This is helpful but it does not take the place of standard shadow diagrams for the options at the standard reference times of the year such as mid winter.]

LAHC complained
about the 3D rendering and shadow diagrams undertaken by Vigilanti for WPHAG
but they are still the only indication of shadowing. With no release of heights
and envelopes, it is unlikely any more accurate shadow diagrams will eventuate.
LAHC provided height ranges in their initial brochure on the options and
Vigilanti maped the maximum heights in the absence of more accurate information
from LAHC. You can download the Vigilanti analysis through the #Welivehere2017
FaceBook page. FACS also complained about the way that the Vigilanti work
interpreted the relocation staging but other than to say housing types will be
spread across the development LAHC have not provided any information that would
lessen the anxiety for those living in the 1-6 year redevelopment zone. We
encouraged LAHC to release the heights, shadow diagrams and finer grain staging
but they have not done so.

If you plan
to feed back to LAHC during options testing; you need to look at the additional
options material above to make informed input and to answer the survey or group
questions. You will also be able to see the above boards at the consultation
events.

Options testing timeframe of concern – it maybe only 22 days!!

REDWatch is
concerned that after there was considerable backlash to UrbanGrowth’s 21 days
consultation for the Waterloo Metro, that LAHC is currently planning to close
the options consultation 22 days after the options materials were placed on its
website! The Waterloo Redevelopment Group of the Waterloo NAB negotiated with
LAHC that there would be a two month period between the start of options
testing and the release of the preferred option, and that the community would
be able to continue to respond to options after LAHC’s focus groups were
finished. With Rob Sullivan and Donna Lantavos leaving the Waterloo project
these undertakings do not seem to have been passed back up the chain. We have
contacted LAHC about the need to honour the undertakings that have been made to
tenants. Hopefully this is just an oversight and it will be fixed soon - LAHC
are looking at the issue.

The problem
arises because LAHC was of the view that it would get most of what it needed to
know from the focus groups. The WRG and Groundswell argued that everyone need
to have access to the option materials and the opportunity to input into the
process. We pushed for the options materials to be made available at the
beginning of the process, two open days, the opportunity for groups to hold
their own group discussions, and for the focus groups to be open to everyone
through an expression of interest process. In short the community wanted as
many as possible to be properly informed before they were asked to make their
contribution. If the LAHC timeframe slipped, as it has, tenants did not want
their time to participate cut short as a result.

How you can have your say about the options

Feedback
Option 1: Information Days and Pop-Ups

Attend the Community
Information Days on 13 October 2018, 10-2pm and / or 26 October 2018, 2-5pm on
Waterloo Green. All the options material will be on display and you can
make comments to the people on the stands. A free BBQ and refreshments will be
available. Pop-up consultations will also be held at various other times.
Contact Waterloo Connect for details at Shop 2, 95 Wellington Street, Waterloo waterlooconnect@facs.nsw.gov.au
or 1800 738 718

Feedback
Option 2: Survey

A survey is
online at Waterloo
consultation survey and you will be able to complete the survey
at the Information Days and pop ups if you cannot get online. To complete the
survey you really need to have the support materials in front of you because
the survey asks you a question about aspects of each of the options, which
option you prefer, what is most important for you in preparing a plan and
how you would like social, affordable and private housing mixed. You can get
a print version of the survey from Waterloo Connect or download it from the
REDWatch website here
before you do the survey.

Feedback
Option 3: Focus Groups

LAHC is holding
13 focus groups of people from different groups. Most of these will be groups
of around 10 people. If you wish to be in one of these contact Waterloo Connect
at waterlooconnect@facs.nsw.gov.au
or call 1800 738 718. You can see a timetable for proposed focus groups here.
Registering for a focus group does not mean that you will be selected to
participate.

Feedback
Option 4: Hold your own discussion

Focus Groups
will not cover everyone so if you and some friends, your church, club or social
group want to hold your own discussion then you can do so. A study guide is
being prepared, similar to the questions for the focus groups. Here is the link to download the Options consultation kit for groups. You can also contact
Counterpoint at The Factory or Inner Sydney Voice for the guide and any
assistance you may need. You can report your group’s comments to LAHC. Apart from
inputting into the process, it is likely that a group discussion will help
people in the group better understand the proposed options and inform their
discussions with other members of the community.

]]>No publisherREDWatchConsultation2018-10-10T21:00:00ZNews ItemCommunities Plus Waterloo Housing and Neighbourhood Design Boardhttp://www.redwatch.org.au/Housing1.JPG
Communities Plus Waterloo Housing and Neighbourhood Design BoardNo publisherREDWatch2018-10-12T00:43:58ZImageWaterloo Options - consultation kit for groupshttp://www.redwatch.org.au/RWA/Waterloo/estateoptions/181011wr
This kit has been prepared for community groups and local service providers so they can conduct their own consultation / study session on the Waterloo options. The kit includes a cover sheet with links to supporting materials; A Group Discussion Guide for facilitators; An template for recording issues raised in the discussion and a summary sheet. The kit is designed for agencies, churches, community groups and anyone who wants to sit down with some friends and talk about the options proposed by LAHC for the redevelopment of the Waterloo public housing estate. The document is in Microsoft Word.No publisherREDWatch2018-10-11T06:35:00ZFileWaterloo Redevelopment Options Testing Survey Questionshttp://www.redwatch.org.au/RWA/Waterloo/estateoptions/181008lahc
To assist people prepare for the survey we have provided the questions so you can see them before you respond. Before you start the survey, please make sure you are able to readily view the three redevelopment options. For example, you may want to download the Options from the website and print a copy, or keep a copy of the Waterloo Redevelopment Options brochure handy whilst you work your way through the survey. Alternatively, you can attend a community day or visit Waterloo Connect to view large printed copies of the options. The document is a 1 Mb Microsoft Word document.No publisherREDWatch2018-10-10T12:20:00ZFileWaterloo Redevelopment Activities Calendar for Options Testinghttp://www.redwatch.org.au/RWA/Waterloo/estateoptions/181009wrcd
This is the Waterloo Redevelopment Activities Calendar covering the Waterloo redevelopment options testing in October 2018. Please note two sessions had not been finalised when this calandar was published.No publisherREDWatch2018-10-10T12:13:54ZFileLAHC Waterloo Newsletter - September 2018 - On Options Testinghttp://www.redwatch.org.au/RWA/Waterloo/estateoptions/190927lahc
In this September 2018 newsletter LAHC released some details of option testing. It includes dates for two Community Information days, a call to register to participate in focus groups and the link to an online questionnaire. It makes no reference to the proposed posting of the options support materials that has been requested.No publisherREDWatch2018-09-27T07:04:45ZFileClover Moore Meeting with the concerned residents at Waterloo http://www.redwatch.org.au/RWA/Waterloo/community/180914cm
The item below appeared in Clover Moore's eNews 875 on 14 September 2018 and reports on a meeting held between councillors and Waterloo tenants on 12 September 2018.

On Wednesday the City held our very
important meeting with the tenants of Waterloo about the NSW Government’s
plans to redevelop the Waterloo Estate with towers up to 40 stories and three
times the density.

The room was packed with tenants who
are extremely concerned about the proposals – we heard from people who are
worried about the loss of sunlight, their community garden, and most
importantly, their way of life.
The simple message from residents was that they deserve to know what’s going
to happen to their neighbourhood and they deserve to have their say.

It’s absolutely shocking that this
massive redevelopment ignores our planning controls and is being proposed
despite the fact that this area is already surrounded by other huge
development sites. I
want to make it clear that the City does not support the plan.

I was joined at the meeting by local
member Jenny Leong, Deputy Lord Mayor Jess Miller and Councillor Philip
Thalis who have committed to work with our community to protect their area.

]]>No publisherREDWatch2018-09-17T12:56:04ZNews ItemStudy Session Introductionhttp://www.redwatch.org.au/RWA/Waterloo/mplan/studysess/180829lahcintro
Each of the four technical baseline study sessions held for the Waterloo Estate Master Plan by Communities Plus was preceded by this common introduction.
No publisherREDWatch2018-09-17T12:35:00ZFileHeritage Arts and Culturehttp://www.redwatch.org.au/RWA/Waterloo/mplan/studysess/180906lahc
Presentation for Session 4: Thursday 6 September, 9am - 12pm - Heritage; Arts & Culture. This was one of four technical baseline study sessions held for the Waterloo Estate Master Plan by Communities Plus. A common introduction to each session was [provided and this is listed separately. No publisherREDWatch2018-09-17T12:30:00ZFileTraffic & Transport; Noise and Air Polution; Sustainabilityhttp://www.redwatch.org.au/RWA/Waterloo/mplan/studysess/180903lahc
Presentation for Session 3: Monday 3 September, 10am - 2pm -Traffic & Transport; Noise & Air Pollution; Sustainability. This was one of four technical baseline study sessions held for the Waterloo Estate Master Plan by Communities Plus. A common introduction to each session was [provided and this is listed separately. No publisherREDWatch2018-09-17T12:30:00ZFile